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Lord Jozef Kohleschmied
'Jozef Archibald Kohleschmied '(b. 8 January 1698) also known as Joseph Coalsmythe, is a Swiss statesman and diplomat who is most famous for his time as Prime Minister of Switzerland (28 October 1739 - 27 September 1746 & 31 January 1749 - 27 December 1750). He is the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of Switzerland, and one of the founding members of the Swiss Trading Company. Beginnnings/Early life (1698 - 1720) Childhood (1698 - 1716) Jozef was born on January 8th, 1698 to humble beginnings in the Swiss city of Winterthur. His father, a veteran of the 9 Years War turned diplomat, raised Jozef by himself as his mother died when he was still a young at a young age. As a young boy Jozef, being the son of a widowed diplomat, made frequent trips to various cities in Europe while his father was working for the Swiss government on diplomatic missions. By the time he was 16 years old he was already fluent in German, Italian, French, and English. At 18 Jozef travelled to Austria to study law at the University of Vienna. While he was away, the then Swiss king, Matthias I, summoned his father to Bern to inform him of a new diplomatic mission he was to ontake. While en route to his destination, he was ambushed and killed by a group of marauders. Grief stricken, Jozef did not return home, instead opting to volunteer for the Austrian army in hope of somehow honouring his Father's military past. Service in the Austrian Army (1716 -1719) His first taste of battle came at the Battle of Peterwardein on August 5th, 1716, when the 91,000 strong Habsburg army under the command of Prinz Eugen von Savoyen faced off against the 150,000 strong Ottoman army lead by Grand Vizier Damat Ali Pasha on the north bank of the Danube. The next year Jozef once again followed the Prinz in a new campagin to capture the city of Belgrade, and after a month long siege, the city had fallen. Celebrations were short lived, however, as only six days later Spanish troops invaded the island of Sicily. The initial Austrian reaction to the invasion was limited, as the Supreme Austrian Commander Prinz Eugen von Savoyen wanted to avoid a major war in Italy as long as the war with the Turks continued. With the Austrian army in garrison for the time being, Jozef took a leave of absense from the military to travel back to Zürich to collect his inheritence which included his Father's entire estate, as Jozef was his only child. The peace was shortlasted, however, as with the signing of the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, the Habsburg Empire made peace with the Ottoman Empire and began to mobilize their army for a campaign to retake Sicily. Mid-life (1720 - 1737) Entrance into Swiss Politics (1737 - 1739) Swiss Revolution Life in Exile With his dreams of a political revolution in Europe destroyed, Jozef fled the country. His property was siezed and sold by the Swiss government while Jozef was forced to live in exile in Morocco. The time spent in Casablanca by Jozef was somewhat unremarkable. However back in Switzerland things were anything but quiet. King Matthieu II had spent that last few years getting himself in a tight spot with the other major powers of Europe and was facing a coup d'etat spearheaded by his Chief Advisor, Tyler Kroshbon. The King failed to act, and he was forced to abdicate in May of 1738. For the next few months Switzerland was under the de facto control of the Armed Guard. By August, the Dukes of Switzerland had decided upon a new king, and Tylar Kroshbon was coronated as William II. 1739 Elections & First Term (1739 - 1746) A Suprising Invitation One of the new King's first acts was to completely rebuild the Swiss government. Almost all Ministers and Generals from the reign of Matthieu II were removed from their respective offices, and the elections were announced. Joseph didn't think much of this, until he recieved a letter stamped with the Kroshbon coat of arms. He had been offered a Royal Pardon and candidacy in the upcoming election. Jozef would finally return back to Switzerland after 2 years in the desert. 1739 Campaign Jozef's political campaign in 1739 was somewhat suprising to some onlookers. Only two years ago was Jozef leading a rebellion against the King, and he now seemed to be a dedicated supporter of the Monarchy. The former New Switzerland party was renamed the Swiss People's Party. Jozef platform for the election included Swiss expansion into the bordering German and Italian territories. Namely Piedmont and Wurttemberg, and the reorganization of the Swiss Army, replacing the Armed Guard as the sole military force and creating the ''Schweizer Königsarmee. ''He was able to easily defeat his opponent, Lord Christopher Ironshot. First Term Blau's Rebellion, Absense, and Reinstatement as PM (1746 - 1747) Death of William II & Dismissal as PM (1747 - 1749) 1749 Elections, Return to Switzerland, and War (1749 - Present) 1749 Elections For two years Jozef would stay retired to his estate at Lenzburg Castle in Zurich. In the past few years, Switzerland went through two Kings, and a Kopf, and now the newest King, Alexander I had once again offered him candidacy in the upcoming elections. Having grown bored of the quiet life, he would gladly accept. Swiss Expansion War of the Sardinian Succession Category:Switzerland Category:People